Rogues Roost Brewpub

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Friday Wrap-Up – News and New Beers from TrailWay, Celtic Knot, Hammond River, PEIBC, and more!

Posted by acbbshawn on 2015-01-02
Posted in: Friday Wrap-Up. Tagged: Celtic Knot Brewing, Grimross Brewing, Hammond River Brewing, Ladies Beer League, New Brunswick Beer Tours, PEI Brewing, Propeller Brewing, Railcar Brewing, Red Rover Brewing, RockBottom Brewpub, Rogues Roost Brewpub, Sea Level Brewing, Sunset Heights Meadery, TrailWay Brewing. 2 comments

Happy New Year, beer lovers, and welcome back! While beer news is a bit slow this week as we all recover from the holidays, there’s still a few things going on in our region to start 2015…

• After a successful launch party on December 20th, TrailWay Brewing already has two new beers brewed and planned for release sometime over the next 2-3 weeks. The first beer is a Session IPA; this hop-forward, easy-drinking ale comes in at a very sessionable 4.4% ABV, and is hopped with lots of Comet and Amarillo. Not to break the hop streak, the second beer is an American IPA, with higher numbers in both ABV and IBUs (6.5% and 60, respectively); this one also uses Comet and Amarillo, along with Centennial hops. Both beers should be on tap in the near future at both TrailWay accounts in Fredericton (King Street Ale House and 540 Kitchen & Bar).

• Celtic Knot has brewed up a new beer; Éire is an Irish Red Ale, brewed with Maris Otter, Crystal malt, and some Roasted Barley to give this easy-drinking, malty-sweet beer its classic deep-red color. Hopped with East Kent Goldings and Fuggles to 26 IBUs, the beer should clock in at about 5.3% ABV. Look for it on tap at Celtic Knot accounts in the near future!

• Hammond River is expecting to release a new beer within a few weeks, and it’s an interesting one! Named Breakfast Stout, it was brewed with several dark malts, including Chocolate, Black Patent, and Roasted Barley… but that’s not all! Owner/brewer Shane Steeves added lots of Java Moose coffee to the beer, along with cacao nibs. And as a final twist, the beer was “dry-hopped” with Shane’s own home-smoked Applewood bacon! It comes in at about 8% ABV and 60 IBUs; we’ll be sure to let you know when it’s available, so you can plan your breakfasts accordingly! And just a reminder that their Back in Black Oatmeal Stout is available for growler fills this week at the Kennebecasis Valley ANBL; also, check out the Saint John Ale House, as there may still be some of the Too Hop To Handle DIPA on tap, which was recently brewed to higher IBUs, if you’re into bitterness (and who isn’t)!

• For their second higher-ABV beer, now that provincial restrictions have been lifted, PEI Brewing Co. brewed up a Doppelbock shortly before Christmas. This strong, malty and rich lager will be hitting both PEILCC and ANBL shelves sometime in late winter/early spring, giving it enough time to lager at cool temps and let the flavors develop and smooth out. They also plan on barrelling about 12 hL of this beer for release during Oktoberfest in the fall. Expect this deep-red-colored beer to come in above 8% ABV, and around 25 IBUs.

• PEIBC brewed up yet another “new” beer recently: Black Banks, a Cascadian Dark Ale (AKA Black IPA), was originally released as a one-off in cans, and was a blend of their Sydney Street Stout and 1772 IPA. This time, they redid the brew from the ground up, and not as a blend. With a grist containing 2-row, Wheat, Munich, Carastan 35, and Midnight Wheat malts, it was kettle-hopped with Millenium, Amarillo, Cascade, and Columbus to 50 IBUs, and then dry-hopped with Falconer’s Flight. Clocking in at 6.2% ABV, look for this one in cans across PEI and NB by late January.

• Rogues Roost currently has a couple of new beers on tap at the brewpub. The first beer, Freedom Stout, is a higher-alcohol stout (8.2% ABV) described as having a “chocolate flavor with hints of rum, raisins and dates”; it is hopped to 50 IBUs. Next up is an all-Citra hopped American Pale Ale; the high quantities of Citra give the beer a strong grapefruit aroma, according to the brewery. It comes in at 5.5% ABV and 40 IBUs. Get down to the brewpub to sample both beers before they’re gone!

• There’s another new beer in the One Hit Wonder series from Propeller – Fly Time IPA is an unfiltered American IPA that incorporates several hop varieties, including Ahtanum, Cascade, Centennial, and Falconer’s Flight, and is heavily dry-hopped. With a grist containing 2-row, Pilsner, Wheat and Crystal malts, it’s a fairly light-colored beer that “leaves only a hint of residual sugar which accentuates the hop aroma and flavour”, according to the brewery. It weighs in at 6.3% ABV and 65 IBUs, and is currently available for growler fills at the Gottingen and Windmill Prop Shops.

• Sea Level released a very-limited version of their High Street Wee Heavy last week. This beer, named High Street Wee Heavier, is a higher-ABV version (8.2%) of their original Scotch Ale, and has also been aged on Bourbon oak chips. It was almost gone, as reported by the brewery, for growlers fills a few days ago, but there may still be some available on tap at the Board Room Game Cafe in Halifax.

• They haven’t been open for very long, but Railcar Brewing is already prepping for expansion! Owner/brewer Mitch Biggar has confirmed that they have ordered four additional 45-gallon fermentors, and are in the process of raising funds to increase the size of the brewery system to a 5-bbl (~580 L) system, hopefully by July. They’re also still busy working on the construction of their 1000 square foot tasting room.

• New Brunswick Beer Tours has announced the itinerary for their second beer tour, to be held on Saturday, January 31st from 10:00 am – 5:00 pm. This time, the tour will take place entirely within Fredericton, and will feature visits to Grimross, Sunset Heights Meadery, and Red Rover, and will conclude at the King Street Ale House, where the brewers from TrailWay will be on hand to serve up some of their beers and answer questions. The tour bus will depart from the KSAH in the morning, and return at 1:30 pm for lunch (which is included in the ticket price). Beers/meads/ciders will be sampled at each stop, and there will also be samples provided on the bus itself. Tickets are now on sale for $65 each, and can be purchased here.

• A reminder that the Ladies Beer League official membership launch takes place this Wednesday, January 7th at Rockbottom Brewpub, from 5:00 – 7:00 pm. No ticket purchase is necessary, just drop in to purchase your official membership ($25 each; list of member benefits are here)! Rockbottom’s new brewmaster, Jake Saunders, brewed up a special firkin just for the membership release: a stout fermented with Madagascar vanilla beans and cacao nibs. If you’re not available to attend on Wednesday, shame on you!… but, luckily, you’ll have the chance to purchase your membership at other LBL events in the future, and on their website by the end of this month. The beer, not so much.

Have a fantastic weekend! If you’re in Saint John, Big Tide Brewing has brewed up their Tidal Wave DIPA again, and it’s currently on tap at the brewpub. The new version of Hoppuccino from Big Spruce is now available; drop by the brewery for a growler fill, or look for it on tap at select accounts in Halifax soon. The brewers at Brasseurs du Petit-Sault have several new beers for release in the near future, including a Coffee Stout, Maple Ale, and IPA… we’ll have more info on those next week when the brewers (and half of the blogging team) are back from vacation!

Friday Wrap-Up – News and Brews from Hammond River, Shiretown, Petit-Sault, TrailWay, Granite, Boxing Rock, and more!

Posted by acbbshawn on 2014-11-21
Posted in: Friday Wrap-Up. Tagged: Boxing Rock Brewing, Brasseurs du Petit Sault, Bulwark Cider, Garrison Brewing, Granite Brewery, Hammond River Brewing, RockBottom Brewpub, Rogues Roost Brewpub, Shiretown Beer, Tatamagouche Brewing, TrailWay Brewing. 3 comments

Happy Friday, everyone! Another hefty week of beer news for Atlantic Canada, so let’s get cracking…

• Last month, we mentioned that Hammond River was planning on brewing a Coconut Porter in the near future. Owner/brewer Shane Steeves has confirmed that he will be brewing this beer, Into the Dark, this coming Monday. A Robust Porter, the beer will have both toasted coconut and toasted cacao nibs added in secondary (after primary fermentation has completed); there may even be some local coffee added! The beer should come in at about 6.3% ABV and 38 IBUs; we’ll keep you updated on its progress. And don’t forget to swing by the KV ANBL this weekend, where Hammond River’s Red Coat India Red Ale is available for growler fills!

• Shiretown has a new one-off beer almost ready to be packaged: Hop Hash Strong Wheat Ale is hopped exclusively with… Hop Hash! This is a relatively new product composed of the sticky, resinous hop lupulin glands, supposedly giving lots of hop flavor without the bitterness. For this batch, the hash comes from Goldings hops grown at Southan Farms. Lots of Wheat malt goes into this 6.2% ABV beer (50% of the grist), along with 2 Row, Munich, Vienna, CaraMunich, and Toasted Wheat. The Hop Hash was used in three different additions during the boil. Due to the nature of the additions, the calculated IBUs aren’t known, but owner/brewer Derek Leslie has confirmed the bitterness is in the “medium” range. Look for it soon (probably next week) at the brewery for growler fills, and likely on tap shortly after at the King Street Ale House in Fredericton.

• In even more new beer news from New Brunswick, Les Brasseurs du Petit Sault will be releasing a one-off holiday beer next Wednesday, Nov 26th at noon, at the brewery for growler fills. The name is a secret for now; the brewery is currently dropping small clues in the form of a picture puzzle on Facebook and Twitter. The beer is described by the brewery as a “spiced winter ale” (think Winter Warmer); they’re keeping a few details secret for now, but we can confirm that it will come in at 7.3% ABV and 28 IBUs, and pour with a dark-brown body. “Spicy, and with a nice molasses aftertaste”, it sounds like a great beer for the holidays!

• As their opening date gets closer, the brewers at TrailWay Brewing have been testing out their new equipment with some test batches, including an American Pale Ale and American Stout. Recently, they brewed up something new, an Imperial Brown Ale named Grizzly Oak; as the name suggests, the beer will be aged on oak when fermentation is complete. Including Victory and Honey malt in the grist, it should clock in at around 7.5% ABV and 40 IBUs. While only a test batch now, hopefully we’ll see it on tap around Fredericton when the brewery officially opens; at the very least, this should be representative of future beers from Fredericton’s newest brewery!

• On to Nova Scotia! Granite Brewery is releasing a new beer soon, a Black IPA named Dark Side. Brewed with 2-r0w, Carastan and “Black malt”, the beer is hopped with East Kent Goldings and Cascade to 60 IBUs. It’s a stronger beer at 6.8%, and should be available by the first week of December at the latest, at the Beer Store for growler fills. It will follow afterwards on tap at select locations in Halifax.

• Speaking of Black IPAs, Boxing Rock is releasing a new beer today, The Darkness Cascadian Dark Ale. Brewed in the IPA style, with strong bitterness and fragrant hop characteristics, the CDA features a roast character from the dark malts used in the mash, also lending the signature ink-black colour. 2014-harvest Canadian-grown Centennial hops are featured in the dry-hop with Simcoe, both of which lend their characteristic citrus and piney flavour and aroma to the beer. The beer weighs in at 6.5% ABV and ~50 IBUs. Bottles are available at the brewery and the four private wine shops and Market, as well as on tap at better beer establishments. This was a one-off brew, so best to grab a bottle or pint when you see it!

• And good news for beer drinkers in New Brunswick: after a year of Boxing Rock’s great offerings being available only in Nova Scotia, they are now available on tap at a few bars in your province! Look for their beers on tap at Ducky’s Bar in Sackville, Marky’s Laundromat and Tide & Boar in Moncton, Lemongrass Thai and Peppers Pub in Saint John, and 540 Kitchen & Bar and King Street Ale House in Fredericton.

• Rockbottom Brewpub is releasing their newest seasonal tomorrow, Smoke and Mirrors. This is a classic Rauchbier, reminiscent of the iconic beer from Bamberg, Germany, Schlenkerla Rauchbier Märzen. Brewmaster Greg Nash used over 80% Beechwood-smoked malt, with Munich malt making up the rest of the grist, and Hallertauer Tradition hops used for a balancing bitterness. The result is a 5.3% ABV beer featuring both smoke and malt character, and a light 21 IBU bitterness. The beer hits the tap at opening at 4pm, and the RB kitchen will be serving grilled cheese and bacon sandwiches to pair with the beer.

• As promised last week, we have some more information on the Tatamagouche Brewing North Shore Lagered Ale. Weighing in at 4.7% ABV, the beer was lagered for 3 weeks before hitting the taps and bottling line. With that extra conditioning time, the beer has time to meld the light Pale Ale body with the hop bitterness and aroma, measured at 15 IBUs, thanks to Ahtanum and Hallertau Mittelfruh. And good news everyone, it is still available on tap in Halifax, as both Bar Stillwell and the Stubborn Goat received a reload this week.

• Tatamagouche also went through a small (but critical) expansion this week, adding capacity to their mash tun and kettle. The folks from Purity Stainless were in and chopped the top off of both vessels, and added 5 hl (500 litres) additional capacity to their 10hl brewhouse. And the Tata Crew wasted no time in testing out the system, and everything worked great! Staying true to their goal to not run out of their two core brand offerings, Hippie Dippie Pale Ale and Butcher Block Red, will now be that much easier thanks to this extra volume. It will also mean more access, and greater frequency, to special brews and one-offs, like a new one-off RR#2 Lager coming next week (brewed using their own Malagash-grown hops), and the return of their Dreadnot IBA, with the next batch hitting the taps in the first week of December.

• Rogues Roost Brewpub released their newest one-off beer last week, Double IPA. The 8% ABV, light-bodied ale features 2-Row, Wheat, Crystal, and Melanoidin malts, with Falconer’s Flight and Cascade hops throughout (including dry-hopping) for a massive hop aroma and assertive, but not punishing, bitterness. Notes of citrus and floral come to mind while sipping the beer. Assistant Brewer Jake Saunders took the reins with this beer, developing the recipe himself, and it is a beer to be proud of. Cheers!

• Garrison Brewing has released their newest seasonal, Winter Warmer, this week. Weighing in at 7% ABV and 20 IBUs, this beer is a great accompaniment to those cool nights we are experiencing in our region. 2-Row, Munich, Caramel and Chocolate malts make up the grist, with Brewer’s Gold hops used to balance the rich mouthfeel of the beer. Notes of cinnamon, clove, dark fruit and citrus are present. It is available now in 6-packs in Nova Scotia, and in 500ml bottles in New Brunswick. Last week, we spied the Garrison crew braving the weather and visiting Meander River Farm to pick Spruce tips and branches for their annual Spruce Beer. Look for that to be released in December, we’ll have all of the details then!

• We have more details to share on two ciders that are hitting shelves (and a few taps) in Nova Scotia these days, both from Bulwark. Bulwark Winter is 7.0% ABV, and is their Original Cider infused with Cinnamon, Nutmeg and Ginger. It offers a fuller mouthfeel due to a slightly higher alcohol content. It can be enjoyed either chilled, or try warming it up to release even more of the great spice aromas. It has been on the shelves at the NSLC and private wine stores for a few weeks, and as it has been so successful, a second run will be released in the next two weeks. Bulwark Gold is 5.0% ABV, and is infused with honey and orchard fruit, for a subtle sweetness and notes of apricot or peach. The Gold will be hitting the NSLC shelves this weekend, and can be sampled at the Barrington St location Sunday 1-4pm. Both ciders, as well as their Original and Blush, use a blend of Macintosh, Golden Russet, Red Delicious, Honey Crisp and Spartan apples, all from Nova Scotia’s Annapolis Valley.

In a promising final word this week, the ANBL growler program has expanded to their Sackville location. This week’s offerings will be Picaroons Winter Warmer, Muskoka Brewery Cream Ale, and Le Trou du Diable L’Amère Indienne (American IPA). And speaking of Muskoka, their Mad Tom IPA and Winter Beard Double Chocolate Cranberry Stout will soon be available in Nova Scotia, and they are holding a launch party at Stubborn Goat Wednesday (Nov 28, 6-8pm) to celebrate. Contact Lara to secure your spot.

Friday Wrap-Up – News from TrailWay, PEIBC, Big Axe, Pump House, Tatamagouche, and much more!

Posted by acbbchris on 2014-10-31
Posted in: Friday Wrap-Up. Tagged: Beerthief, Big Axe Brewery, Big Spruce Brewing, Fredericton Poutine Festival, Garrison Brewing, Hammond River Brewing, Meander River Farm and Brewery, Moosehead, PEI Brewing, Picaroons Traditional Ales, Pump House Brewery, Railcar Brewing, RockBottom Brewpub, Rogues Roost Brewpub, Schoolhouse Brewery, Tatamagouche Brewing, TrailWay Brewing, YellowBelly Brewery. 4 comments

Happy Halloween! There’s a whole lot of Atlantic Canadian beer news this week, so let’s get at it…

• There’s another new brewery in New Brunswick on the horizon… the people behind TrailWay Brewing recently broke through on social media when they announced on their Twitter account that they would be opening soon in Fredericton. Dan Mason and Jake Saunders are two homebrewers that have decided to go pro, and plan on bringing a variety of beer styles (including APAs, IPAs, and Stouts) to the area. Brewery construction is currently under way; they have received their Federal Excise License, and hope to be producing beer before Christmas. Stay tuned for a profile on New Brunswick’s newest brewery in the near future!

• The rumours have been confirmed in a recent CBC story – Rogues Roost in Halifax has been sold to the PEI Brewing Co. The second acquisition of a brewpub by PEIBC in the last several months (the first being the Hart & Thistle waterfront property, now the location of the Halifax Gahan Pub), it has been confirmed that all 15 staff members of Rogue’s Roost – including brewmaster Lorne Romano – will stay on. At the moment, there is no intention on changing the Rogue’s brand, as all of their beers will continue to be brewed, according to former owner Doug Johnson and PEI Brewing Co. COO Ben Murphy. With this acquisition comes the possibility that some of the Rogue’s beers will be bottled/canned in the future.

• Big Axe has a new beer available for growler fills at the brewery in Nackawic – Partridgeberry Belgian is a Belgian Witbier-style brewed with a combination of ingredients, including coriander, oranges, and partridgeberries (a tart berry found in regions of Newfoundland) that were added to the boil. Hopped with Saaz, and fermented with a Belgian yeast, it weighs in at 5.6% ABV. Owner/brewer Peter Cole describes the beer as having “a mild but complex tartness, and a mild berry, clove, and cinnamon aroma”. It’s also available on tap at 540 Kitchen & Bar in Fredericton.

• Pump House has just released their Glenn’s Barley Wine, which recently won Beer of the Year at the Atlantic Canadian Beer Awards earlier this month. Brewed in the style of an English Barleywine, this copper-colored beer is “full-bodied with a high residual malty sweetness”, with “noticeable alcohol, fruity esters, and sherry-like aromas and flavors”, according to the brewery. In true Barleywine fashion, it has a high ABV, clocking in at 9.9%. It’s available now for a very limited time, only on tap at the brewpub on Orange Lane.

• In other Pump House news, Stonefire Ale – the beer brewed for their 15th Anniversary in early September – should now be available! This Stein Beer was brewed by immersing hot stones (~700 degrees Celsius) into the wort, quickly bringing the liquid to a boil and caramelizing sugars in the process. With a dark-amber color, the beer has notes of “apricot, grapefruit, and toasted bread” in the aroma, according to the brewery. Full-bodied, with “lots of caramel flavors, combined with the taste of roasted sugar and a background smokiness”, the beer has a low bitterness (~7 IBUs) and 6.5% ABV. Look for it in numbered, limited edition bottles only, at the brewpub now; it will follow shortly in short numbers at ANBL, NSLC and PEILCC stores.

• Tatamagouche Brewing has just released a new beer, Dreadnot. A 7% ABV India Black Ale (aka Black IPA) named after a boat built in Tatamagouche in 1877, the beer was brewed using debittered black malt to provide hints of roastiness without the acrid character from other husked, dark malts. Hopped with “generous amounts” of Waimea, El Dorado, and their own Malagash-grown Cascade to provide “pronounced citrus and floral hop aromas, and subtle pine characteristics”. There’s only a very limited amount available at the moment; look for it at the brewery for growler fills, and on tap at The Stirling Room in Tatamagouche, and at Stillwell, The Stubborn Goat, Obladee and Lion & Bright in Halifax. Luckily, they hope to brew it again in the near future!

• Speaking of Black IPAs, it looks like Moosehead has brewed a beer exclusively for the Saint John Ale House. A cask-conditioned Black IPA with a “rich roasted malt backbone”, it has been dry-hopped with Styrian Goldings “for a crisp finish”, according to the description at the SJAH. It comes in a bit lower than your typical Black IPA, at 5.6% ABV. And in other Moosehead news, their Cold Beer Store in Dartmouth is now offering growler fills of their brands.

• Chris Long, brewmaster at PEI Brewing Co., hasn’t wasted any time brewing a new beer now that the ABV-restriction has been lifted in the province – he’s mashing in a celebratory DIPA today! 8 Cord Double IPA has a grist of 2-row, Munich, and Honey malt, and is hopped with Warrior, Amarillo, Columbus, Cascade, and Centennial… and then dry-hopped (of course!), twice, with more Amarillo, Columbus, and Cascade. With about 80 IBUs and an ABV of 8.5%, it should be a terrific entry into the new range of beers available on the Island! Look for it on PEI by late November/early December, on tap and in cans.

• Picaroons has confirmed the details on their official Winter Warmer Launch Party which will be held next Wednesday, November 5th, from 5:00 pm – 8:00 pm at the ANBL Train Station. There will be live music from local singer Josh Bravener, a variety of tasty pies from the Chess Piece Pâtisserie & Cafe, and of course, samples of the star of the hour, Winter Warmer. In addition, representatives of the Shivering Songs Festival will be on hand to announce the line-up of music for this year’s event. It’s all free, so make sure to drop by!

• Meander River Farm and Brewery has released a new beer this week, Smokey Chipotle Porter. The malt bill features Cherrywood Smoked Malt, to lend a smokey character on top of the rich dark chocolate notes. Chipotle peppers were added close to the end of fermentation for a bit more smoke, and a slight spicy kick, while maintaining a nice hop balance. It is available today at the Brewhouse 4-7pm, tomorrow and Sunday 11-5pm, and on tap in Halifax at Tom’s Little Havana and Lion & Bright.

• Schoolhouse Brewery in Falmouth, NS is coming to Stillwell for the first time tomorrow, and they’re arriving in a big way! Owner Cam Hartley will be on hand to share their six handcrafted ales with the thirsty Halifax drinkers. Their two flagship beers will be on tap, as well as all four of the Hants County Hop Series beers. The Principal Ale is an unfiltered, dry hopped 4.5% ABV, 20 IBU Pale Ale made with Maritime barley and organic specialty malts. The dry hopping with Cascade leaves this beer with a citrusy aroma. The Chequers Ale is a 4.5% ABV Robust Porter made with Goldings hops. This dark ale is a tribute to Cameron’s Great Grandfather’s brewpub in Kent England with the same name. The Hants County Hop Series beers are just about as local as a beer can get, using Maritime malt and hops grown in Hants County. Each beer features just one or two local hops, to allow imbibers to taste the characteristics each hop lends to the final product. The four beers are: Hants County Goldings, Hants County Galena, Hants County Zeus, and Hants County Zeus & Galena. The base beer style is a 5%ABV Pale Ale, with most of the hops being used in a hop back, between the kettle, through the chiller, and to the fermenter. This technique proved to be tricky, but worth the effort to grab tons of aroma from the hops without a lot of bitterness. The hops were grown on the Schoolhouse grounds, another of their hop yards at Castle Frederick Farm, as well as from Wentworth Creek Farm. Cam dried them himself, turning his garage into a temporary oast house. Cam had this to say about the Hop Series, ” I always wanted to make a beer that would be close to what the first settlers would have drank (with the exception of using modern sanitization techniques). It also allowed me to meet and work with some wonderful local hop growers at Wentworth Farm. We hope this annual series grows. This will mean an expanding hop industry in Hants County.” Meet Cam, and drink the labour of love for this brewery and farmers Saturday, starting at noon. No tickets necessary, come on by!

• In other Schoolhouse news, they will soon be offering growler fills! While they are not open to the public, they will be attending the Wolfville Farmers Market as soon as their capacity allows. And, in a region first, they will be offering a weekly growler delivery service to customers in the Windsor and Falmouth area. The truck will head out Thursday evening to collect empties and drop off filled growlers. Be sure to place your order in advance via email. Due to alcohol restrictions, ID will be checked, so no re-purposing the milkman’s “Milk/No Milk” sign!

• Yellowbelly Brewery in St. John’s, NL has their newest creation on tap now, named Root Cellar. After being charged to create a parsnip beer, brewmaster Liam McKenna admitted that he was stumped. However, not to give up on a challenge, he came up with the idea of using parsnips in a fall seasonal. While many of our favourite breweries opt for Pumpkin Spice beers, they are very divisive in the beer community, and McKenna is not a fan, due to the spices used. Instead of using nutmeg or allspice, he chose other spices and seasonings for a different beer altogether, complementing the earthy nature with hints of licorice found in parsnips. Marris Otter was the base grain, with 60 kg of baked and pureed parsnips added. The beer was hopped with the earthy East Kent Goldings to about 16 IBU, and then given a double dry-hop dose of Topaz, lending a citrus rind character. McKenna also used fresh grated ginger and Thai basil, and dried Star Anise to round out the rich spicing characteristics of the beer. The final product is a 6% straw coloured brew with a slight haze, and light in body. And, most importantly, McKenna is pleased with the results! Grab a pint at the Yellowbelly today.

• nuqneH! Garrison Brewing will be releasing a new beer next week, in celebration of Hal-Con, the Sci-Fi, Fantasy, and Gaming Convention being held Nov 7-9. Klingon Warnog Roggen Dunkel is a dark rye beer, a hybrid of the Dunkelweizen and Roggenbier styles. It was brewed using Munich, Dark Crystal, Wheat and Rye malts, hopped with Cascade, and fermented with a German Weizen yeast, for a rich blend of aromas and flavours. Aromas of banana, clove and chocolate lead to rye, caramel and chocolate, with a balancing bitterness. Available in very short supply at the brewery and private stores beginning Nov 7, and they will be announcing their favourite fan slogan today on twitter. ‘IwlIj jachjaj!

• Railcar Brewing officially opens tomorrow, and in addition to two of their flagship beers (Railcar Red and Artisan Brown), they’ll have a SMaSH IPA that’s hopped exclusively with Cascade, from Southan Farms. It clocks in at 5.5% ABV and 70 IBUs. They also have a Peanut Butter Porter on the brew schedule for next week… we’ll keep you updated on that one! Be sure to drop in at the brewery/retail store in Florenceville tomorrow if you’re in the area, and pick up some growlers and swag (10% off opening day)!

• Over at Rockbottom, they released a new beer on Wednesday for their weekly firkin. A Smoked Lager (Classic Rauchbier) with a grist containing a whopping 82% of beechwood-smoked malt, and Munich malt, and hopped with Saaz, it comes in at 5.3% ABV and 21 IBUs. Think of this as a preview for the main batch, which should be on tap at the brewpub soon.

• Hammond River Brewing is has announced that they’re hosting a homebrew competition! Open to all New Brunswick homebrewers, the style to brew will be Christmas/Winter Specialty Spiced Beer. A total of four bottles of beer will be required; the due date for sample submission is January 9th, so you have lots of time to get brewing! Local BJCP-certified judges will be joined by a local sommelier to find the best in show. The winner will brew their recipe with HR owner/brewer Shane Steeves on his brew system, and the beer will be released on tap in the Saint John area. In addition, the top three finalists will receive prizes from the Saint John Ale House.

• In other homebrew competition news, the Beerthief crew is hosting a competition for Newfoundland and Labrador homebrewers. Focusing on two styles (Dry Stout and  American IPA), the competition closes mid-December, so get brewing now! Check out the forums for more details. Good luck!

• And for NS Homebrewers, don’t forget that the Big Spruce American Wheat/Rye competition closes Nov 27, so brew now or forever hold your peace. Details are available in our previous writeup.

• A final reminder that the second annual Fredericton Poutine Festival is next Saturday, Nov. 8th, and tickets are almost gone! The brewery list has expanded, with 12 breweries pouring up to 25 different beers. And, of course there will be lots of food: five establishments will have a total of 10 different types of poutine for you to sample! Get your tickets now before they’re sold out. For more info on the festival, check out our previous post.

Phew! Lots of new, local beers to look for this weekend! Celtic Knot Brewing has also expanded distribution – they now have a rotating tap at the Old Triangle in Moncton. If you are on the South Shore of Nova Scotia, be sure to drop by Boxing Rock for a Hallowe’en party Saturday. From 12-3pm at the brewery, they will be having a BBQ, free tours and samples (best to call 902-494-9233 first to ensure your spot), face painting, apple bobbing, and Pumpkin Slinging with their trebuchet!